The Golden Years
by LiveLifeandLovetoWrite
Summary: The war is finally over. Harry has finally won and Voldemort is dead. The Golden Trio are ready to live their lives without worry or pain. Will what life has in store for them live up to their dreams? Is it truly over? (Based off Books and Movie) Please REVIEW... Also let me know if you have any ideas for what should happen next!
1. It's Over

Harry looked at the castle, the place he thought of as home, the one place that no matter what happened he always felt like he belonged, and started to tear up. His home the only home he has ever know broken, crumbled down to ashes. He looked at his two best friends who were there for him through thick and thin and thought of how lucky he was to have them, he wouldn't be where he was today if it weren't for them. "It's over" he said to them "It's all over" He was relieved but at the same time had this sinking feeling inside.

Ron could see in Harry's eyes that he was hurting. He put his hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "Come on mate, let's go inside." Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and they started to walk.

Hermione, who was in-between the two squeezed both their hands as they got closer. It's going to be fine" she said trying not only to convince the boys but also herself.

As they reached the doors Harry stopped. "I can't do this. I can't go in there. This is all my fault!" He starts to step back slowly. "Everyone must hate me and if they don't they should. Everyone's dead because of me!" Harry started to cry.

"Nobody blames you Harry, if anything we all thank you." Hermione says trying to comfort her friend.

"Yeah mate no one thinks it's your fault, and no one hates you!" Ron says.

"Well they should and you two should too!" Harry cries "If it weren't for me Fred would still be alive! So would Tonks, Lupin, Colin, Srius, Dumbledore, Snape, Lavender, Mad-eye, my parents, and everyone else!"

"Harry that's not true! Voldemort was evil way before you came along! It's not your fault!" Hermione told Harry. "Just think if it hadn't been you it would have been Neville!"

"Yeah mate, thank god it was you! Neville is great but seriously we would have never survived first year!" Ron said trying to comfort him

"Not what I meant Ron!" Hermione said slapping his arm. "I was trying to explain that Voldemort still would have rose to power, still would have killed people and may not have been defeated!"

"But he wouldn't have come to Hogwarts if it weren't for me! The school would still be intact and you would not be suffering now! No one would be suffering! I bring death with me everywhere. I am a target for bad things to happen to!"

"You can't think like that! I promise you no one blames you! You're not being rational. Your exhausted and most likely famished." Hermione said calmly to Harry "Calm down and when you're ready we will do this… Together."

Ron nodded in agreement and helped Harry back on his feet "Ready mate?" he asked in a concerned tone.

After he calmed down he grabs Hermione's reached out hand and states in a serious voice, "Ready as I'll ever be." They walk in and walk through the castle trying to escape signs of the war. As they walk they start to recall the past seven years at Hogwarts. Ron gets really excited as they come down a hall near Gryffindor tower, "Bloody hell! This is the place!" he says enthusiastically.

Hermione and Harry look at him confused.

"Okay do you remember first year when we were using the invisibility cloak to sneak out at night?" he asks them not thinking they would remember. They both nod with confused looks still on their face, "And then there was that one night when we met Fluffy and Hermione got really angry at us," He continues, "Well this is where she said 'I hope your pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled!' and walked off. Now yes I did think she was a little mad but that was also the moment that, when I look back now, I realize was the first time I thought I loved you Hermione." Hermione's eyes filled up with tears of joy.

"Really Ron?" She asks with a lump in her throat.

"Well yea I realized that you weren't only smart and pretty but also passionate and I just knew that there was something special about you. I also want it to be the place where I ask you to be my girlfriend, I know it's childish to ask but I can't help it" He says blushing a bit.

"Ron I love you!" she says as she hugs him tighter than she ever has. "You are the best boyfriend I could ask for."

"FINALLY!" Harry proclaims "I have been waiting for you two to get together for seven years!" He hugs them both and they all laugh. The continue to talk and laugh when they finally reach the Gryffindor tower.

"Password?" The fat lady asks in her usual bored monotone way.

"We don't know it" Harry admits.

"No password no entry" the fat lady replies smugly

"Seriously" Hermione says in a annoyed tone "I know you know who we are… we have been sneaking in and out of this passageway for seven years. Harry is the freaking Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived, and The person who just defeated the most evil yet powerful wizard EVER! We have not slept a full night in NINE MONTHS and NOW your not going to let us in. SERIOUSLY!" The fat lady's portrait swings open and she disappears from her frame.

"Wow, what was that?" Harry says

"I am tired, and she was being ridiculous" Hermione says embarrassed and turning red. Ron puts his arm around her waist and kisses her forehead. They all climb through the hole and think about how small it seems now compared to the first time they climbed in. They all look shocked at how unaffected the room looks compared to the rest of the castle. "It's like they nothing has changed." Hermione said in a shocked yet pleased tone. "Look even the marks on the ceiling are still there from when Fred and George lit fireworks after the quidditch finals our second year."

Ron stiffened at the mention of Fred's name and Harry did not let this go unmentioned. "Ron. You should really be with your family right now." He said worried about his friend.

"Harry I'm fine, I have all the family I need right here." Ron replied as he squeezed Hermione's hand. They both nodded and hugged him. The sat in their usual spots and just looked around and thought about the past seven years. Harry thought about what his life would be like now without the constant fear of impending death. He thought about his past and future but somehow his thoughts always returned to that redhead he loved more than he ever thought possible, Ginny.

"Harry?" Hermione says again.

"Wh- what?" Harry replies snapping back into reality.

"We are going go upstairs. Hermione is coming with us so she doesn't have to be alone… you coming?" Ron asked. Harry stood up to join them. Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and they walked up the familiar old stairs to the room that they have shared since their first year at Hogwarts. Harry finds his old bed and climbs in and pulls the covers up over his body. He gets that same warm feeling that it always has.

"You keeping your curtain's open mate?" Ron asks and he and Hermione snuggle up in his bed.

"Yea… It's just more comfortable to be able to see what is going on. It still doesn't feel like it's over yet" Harry replies.

"We will keep this one open too then." Hermione says realizing that Harry had a point. She grabs Ron's hand and falls asleep holding his hand tight

They all fall fast asleep for their best night of sleep in nine months.


	2. The Place It All Began

Harry wakes up with a jolt. He looks around wondering if everything that happened was a dream. He sees Ron and Hermione in the bed next to him and realizes it all did happen. He sees how happy and peaceful they look and thinks "I am glad they have each other, they have been through so much that they didn't deserve to go through. They deserve to be happy" He smiles and grabs his wand off the table. "Acio Invisibility cloak" he whispers. The cloak appears on the bed next to him. He uses one of the pieces of parchment in the drawer and leaves a note for Ron and Hermione. Quietly he pulled the cloak on and left Gryffindor tower.

He walked quickly down the corridor hoping she would be there. The walk was one he had taken many times before it had never been this quiet before. It felt like no one was in the castle, then it hit him… was the office even there? He turned the corner and saw the spiral staircase open. He sighed with relief and climbed the stairs slowly taking his cloak off as he walked. He checks his watch and reads 7:00. "I hope she's up." He says to himself as he knocks on the door.

"Come in" McGonagall called in a worried tone. Harry opens the door to find her standing wand drawn ready for whoever, or whatever came through the door. "Oh," McConnell says relieved putting her wand away "It's only you. What can I do for you Mr. Potter."?

"Professor I have come to ask you a favor." Harry says as he explains what he needs to do. I will be back in an hour or two I just need the spell lifted so I can leave and when I come back.

"Do you know how to apperate Mr. Potter?" She asks

"Well, not really that's the other thing. I was kinda umm unavailable when I was supposed to get my apparition license so could you take me?" Harry asks nervously.

"Of course. You deserve to do this." She says grabbing a parchment and scrawling something down quickly. "I just need to leave a note for Kingsley so he knows where I am.

"Of course" Harry says. "Professor, I really appreciate this."

"It really is nothing Mr. Potter. Okay are you ready" she asks walking over to him. Harry nods and grabs McGonagall's hand. They apperate to Godric's Hollow. Harry walked to the place where it all began. The place that he lost his parents. As he looked at his old home he felt relieved, like some horrible pain had been lifted off his shoulders. That night meant something more now. It was no longer just the night he lost his parents, it was the night that started it all. If not for that night he probably wouldn't be who he was today or know the people he thinks of as family. He continued down the road toward the small graveyard he last visited almost half a year ago. He walked back to the grave stone of his parents and kneeled in front of it.

"Mum, Dad it's over." He told the gravestone. "Thank you for everything." He starts to tear up as he conjures up flowers. He sits there in silence for an hour just thinking of how life would have been had Riddle never existed. He looked around as he stood up and smiled as he remembered the words his mentor once told him "To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." He figured that now Sirius, Lupin and his Dad can be reunited. He realized it may have sucked that everyone lost so many people but now it was all over. No more death, no more destruction, no more suffering. He slowly walked out of the graveyard looking at the sky and smiling. He hoped his parents were proud.

"I remember the night you and I met Harry." McGonagall told him, "You were only a baby and yet I knew you were special. Not because of what you did or who you were but because when I looked at you I could tell you were different." She smiled at him, Harry could not remember a time where he saw her look genuinely happy. It was a refreshing change. "Are you ready to go?" she asked. Harry nodded and they apperated back to Hogwarts.


	3. A Special Bond

Hermione yawned as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the room feeling relief. The words Harry said yesterday rang clear as day in her ear "It's over." Hermione looked down at Ron, the person she had been in love with for Merlin only knows how long. Now that things were over she could finally be with him no more danger. They were all free to be with who they want, to do what they want. She looked over to Harry. All of the sudden she realized that the bed that Harry had been sleeping in no more than a few hours earlier. She looked at the empty bed and nearly hyperventilated right there. "Ron," she said trying to wake him up. Ron simply grunted and turned over. "RONALD WEALSEY WAKE UP!" She cried with a sense of urgency in her voice.

Ron nearly flew across the room when he heard Hermione yelling. "What in bloody hell is going on?" He said with an annoyed and grumbled tone. Hermione looked at him with a look that Ron had rarely seen before but he knew what it meant. Realizing that this look meant something serious was going on he sat up and look to Hermione with a worried look on his face. "Mione, tell me what is wrong, are you okay?" he asked.

Hermione replied with hint of worry in her voice. "I am fine Ron, but Harry is gone!" She pointed at his bed empty and had looked like no one had slept in it. Ron rolled his eyes and stood up. He picked up a note and laughed. "Your best friend is missing and you just sit there laughing." Hermione scolded Ron. Ron handed her a note and got back in bed. Hermione red the note turning redder with each line she read.

Ron and Hermione,

I am guessing Ron is reading this while Hermione proceeded to freak out? Well Hermione don't worry, I am fine. Trust me I wouldn't have made my bed if I were in trouble. I had to do something on my own. I will explain more later. I will be back by 9, 10 at the latest. Ron you can go back to sleep now. Sorry to panic you Hermione!

Harry

Harry knew them too well she laughed as she finished the note. As happy as she was that he was okay she still wished she wasn't so predictable. She was glad she had friends who knew her so well, they had a special bond she wouldn't trade for anything. Now she had Ron there to calm her down and that was her dream come true. Hermione looked at her watch and saw it was only 8:00. She figured that she could get another hour sleep before anything big happened. She laid back down next to Ron and felt at home as he wrapped his arms around her. She fell asleep dreaming about her life now and a certain special red-headed boy she met seven years ago and fell for hard the second they met.


End file.
